Wai (Water)

Don’t Inject, RE-direct (Because the situation’s DIRE)

The DIRE Coalition is a group of Maui organizations, residents and visitors committed to protecting our precious coral reefs and ocean and to wise use of scarce water resources. The DIRE Coalition advocates reclaiming and using our treated wastewater for irrigation, stream restoration, green belts and fire prevention, rather than injecting it into wells were it migrates to the ocean, promotes algae growth, and suffocates our reefs.

Injection Wells: Are There Any Alternatives?

Abundant rain falls along the windward side of Maui and Molokai, but fresh water remains a precious resource with a long history of poor management. Maui Tomorrow works with all water users and managers to ensure that stream flows are protected, aquifers remain recharged and that our water is safe for everyone to use.

Below see a talk by Earth Justice on the Na Wai Eha water decision and who controls Maui water:

From the Hawai’i State Constitution:

WATER RESOURCES Section 7. The State has an obligation to protect, control and regulate the use of Hawaii’s water resources for the benefit of its people. The legislature shall provide for a water resources agency which, as provided by law, shall set overall water conservation, quality and use policies; define beneficial and reasonable uses; protect ground and surface water resources, watersheds and natural stream environments; establish criteria for water use priorities while assuring appurtenant rights and existing correlative and riparian uses and establish procedures for regulating all uses of Hawaii’s water resources.